At Fine Homebuilding we believe that for too long true craftsmanship in America has gone unrecognized and underappreciated. It’s why we’ve established the #KeepCraftAlive scholarship in partnership with SkillsUSA. Through these scholarships, which we’ve awarded for the past three years—and through our collective efforts of the KeepCraftAlive program—we aim to ignite a passion for the trades and to support those who will carry on a legacy of craftsmanship in home building. This is important work, and Fine Homebuilding is committed to doing all that it can to celebrate those who are passionate about building the best homes possible, in the best way possible. Of the 24 students who will be receiving one of our 2019 KeepCraftAlive scholarships to support their continued training and education, nine of them will be training in the categories of welding, masonry, carpentry and cabinetmaking. We’re proud to feature them here. If you’d like to show your support for KeepCraftAlive and for those who are passionate about pursuing careers in building, please consider making a direct donate to our scholarship fund with SkillsUSA, here.
Interest Area: Electrical Systems
School: Fayetteville Technical Community College
Hometown: Fayetteville, North Carolina
“…All these thing will help make me a skilled worker, with a work ethic that won’t allow any shortcuts, who approaches all tasks with integrity and a desire inspire the same in others. The best way to #keepcraftalive is to do quality work that you can be proud.”
Interest Area: Electrical Construction Maintenance
School: Saugerties
Hometown: Port Ewen, New York
“Keeping craft alive means not only working in the trades as a livelihood, but also using the skills we learn to help our communities.”
Interest Area: HVAC
School: Kansas City Community College
Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri
“Growing up in our household, our parents really pushed education. While other kids chose the career they wanted, based on what they liked doing, we were given the choice to become a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. From the very beginning my parents would instill that if you weren’t one of these three, you weren’t good enough for society. In middle school, I was very blessed to be a part of Project Lead the Way. This was a program that created an engaging, hands-on classroom environment. This program gave us the insight on how to work in different trades and basic skills. From that class, I found my passion and love for electricity.”
Interest Area: HVAC
School: Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Hometown: Moorhead, Minnesota
“I am choosing this field because I am very interested in all the components involved with it such as electrical, heating, and cooling, and while I consider myself a very hands-on person, learning these aspects of this field is intriguing. I grew up taking components of machines apart, fixing them, and then putting them back together.”
Interest Area: HVAC & Carpentry
School: Hart County High School
Hometown: Hartwell, Georgia
“Many of my fondest memories throughout my childhood involve working with my father on our own house, or going to my grandfathers on weekends to help build his house. While working in construction has taught me many hands on skills it has also taught me something I believe many people in today’s society lack, a respect for blue collars workers across that nation that serve as the backbone of our great nation.”
Interest Area: HVAC
School: Guilford Technical Community College
Hometown: Mcleansville, North Carolina
“To me, my craft means a stable life for my family, a sense of accomplishment for myself and a well-executed service needed to sustain the comfort and confidence of the consumer in which I provide the service for. A craft is an involvement in a brotherhood/sisterhood of individuals that have a passion for planning, executing and performing a specific skill that takes manual dexterity and artistic skill. A true craftsman spends their life dedicated to performing their skill at the highest level they can achieve.”
Interest Area: Electrical Construction Wiring
School: Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education
Hometown: Ozone Park, New York
“Through the organization of SkillsUSA I was able to become a more independent as well as a team person all through the help of different community based services, competitions, and fundraisers from SkillsUSA. With that being said my motivation in keeping the craft alive has gone through the roof, because of the feeling to compete in your trade is like no other, so in order to keep this momentum going in the Electrical Construction Wiring (Residential & Commercial) shop I’ve decided to become a mentor. I want the up and coming youth to feel that great sensation of being able to promote their skills in the trade.”
Interest Area: Electrical
School: Casscadia Tech Academy
Hometown: Vancouver, Washington
“The opportunity to attend Cascadia Technical Academy has significantly enriched my high school experience. I have a solid academic foundation and I have learned a trade. As a student in the Construction Technology program, I have developed an understanding of the basics of framing walls, floor systems, and roof systems. I look forward to adding electrical systems to these skills. The foundation has been laid for my development into a skilled laborer; a craftsman.”
